Elementary Education

Elementary Education Major (BS)

Our elementary education major prepares pre-service teacher candidates through rigorous interdisciplinary coursework and a variety of field experiences that will enable them to effectively meet the needs of diverse students. Pre-service teacher candidates have the opportunity to participate and engage in communities of practice through student-led Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and through partnerships with trained mentors in local school divisions.

Unique to the University of Lynchburg is our integration of the evidence-based New Teacher Center (NTC) framework for teacher development throughout the undergraduate program. Our elementary education program develops the habits of mind and professional dispositions that lay the foundation and inform the practices of successful educators.

Upon completion, candidates will earn an initial teaching license for grades Pk-6.

Elementary Education with Special Education – General Curriculum (K – 6) Add-On Endorsement

The coursework in the Elementary Education major is intentionally designed to equip candidates to meet the diverse needs of all learners in their classes, including students receiving special education services through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Beginning Fall 2022, candidates enrolling in the Elementary Education major may elect to complete a Special Education practicum the last two weeks of their student teaching semester to be eligible for a Virginia state teaching license with endorsements in Elementary Education (PreK – 6) and Special Education General Curriculum (K-6) at the completion of all program and licensure requirements.

Elementary Education majors who choose to complete the Special Education – General Curriculum (K – 6) Add-On Endorsement requirements significantly expand their job opportunities and graduate highly qualified to teach special education (K- 6) or elementary education (Pre-K – 6). Graduates with such qualifications are highly sought after by district and school administrators given the critical shortage of special educators across the country.

What Will I Study?

In addition to professional education courses, you will explore a wide variety of subjects including the arts, sciences, English, history, social studies, and economics. If adding on the special education license, Your coursework will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to individualize and differentiate instruction to ensure students with disabilities have meaningful access to the general education curriculum.

You will engage in practical experiences throughout your coursework in various education classes, and fulfill a semester of full-time student teaching, leading you to state licensure in Virginia.

Featured Courses

EDUC 210: Foundations of Education and the Teaching Profession

This course is designed to provide an overview of schools and the teaching profession. Prospective teacher candidates will examine the historical, philosophical, and sociological themes in American Education and investigate current issues affecting schools today. They will explore the legal and ethical aspects of the teaching profession as well as school organization and culture. They will be introduced to the professional standards for teachers. Practical experiences in schools provide the opportunity for observation of theories in practice.

EDUC 240: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

In this course, prospective teacher candidates will learn evidence-based practices for curriculum design that address the needs of learners at different stages of development, abilities, and achievement. Prospective teacher candidates will plan a standards-based unit that effectively utilizes technology, formative and summative assessment, and incorporates differentiation and culturally relevant pedagogy.

EDUC 309: Early Childhood Development, Language, and Literacy I

This course provides in-depth understanding of the development of young children, developmentally appropriate practices, and curricula associated with early childhood education. Candidates will learn the effects of individual, cultural, and linguistic differences in early childhood, instructional practices that are sensitive to the needs of diverse young learners, the important role of families in the education of young children, and the importance of play for young learners. Candidates will also learn strategies for literacy development. Current policies, theories, laws, regulations, and evidence-based practices in early childhood education is stressed, along with best practices for professional behavior for educators working with children from age three to seven.

EDUC 362: Classroom and Behavior Management

This course will provide the foundation for understanding classroom and behavior management for students at different stages of development, abilities, and grade levels. Candidates will learn professionally-appropriate practices that underscore the importance of creating a positive and responsive classroom environment that encourages the development of students’ social skills and self-regulation skills. Candidates will develop an understanding of school safety plans and the importance of creating a safe, orderly classroom environment.

EDUC 419: Methods of Teaching Science, Technology, and Math in the Elementary School

In this course, candidates will learn methods to engage and motivate PK-6 students to learn the content in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Prospective candidates will learn how to plan, implement, and reflect on activities in STEM fields and to differentiate activities for the variety of learners in their class.

Featured Courses with the Special Education – General Curriculum (K – 6) Add-On Endorsement

SPED 220: Introduction to Exceptionalities

This course introduces candidates to the principles, values, and policies that serve as a foundation for how individuals with exceptionalities are often perceived and served in American schools and communities. Course content focuses on the foundation for educating students with special needs, including historical perspectives, legal and regulatory aspects, service delivery models, educational theories, philosophies, and trends. National and state laws and regulatory policies are reviewed, along with characteristics/definitions, causation, learning, behavior, age span issues, and other major aspects of exceptionalities. Special attention is given to theories and controversies about the inclusion and/or segregation of students with exceptionalities in educational and community settings in combination with an overview of the design of services and programs serving students with exceptionalities. Educational implications, ethical/cultural/environmental issues and family rights/responsibilities are also addressed. Further, the course provides practical, real-life opportunities for candidates to apply what they learn in class in educational/community environments to interact, support, and engage individuals with exceptionalities.

SPED 338: Advanced Assessment and IEP Development

This course prepares candidates to take an active role in the comprehensive assessment process, the determination of eligibility for special education services within public schools, and the design of individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities across K-12 grade levels. Candidates will apply tests and measurements concepts to the administration, scoring, and interpretation of norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and curriculum-based assessments and will focus on technical report-writing for educational purposes and the interpretation of assessment results for a variety of audiences, including school-based committees, educational professionals, and parents. In addition, this course requires candidates to integrate their knowledge of characteristics and educational implications of disabilities, laws associated with special education, ethical considerations, processes, procedures, and assessment results to the development of IEPs with consideration of student-specific levels of performance, academic and behavioral goals, appropriate service delivery models, classroom environments, and appropriate accommodations and modifications, including the adaptation of teaching materials and use of technology to enhance learning.

What Kind of Job Can I Get?

You will be prepared to teach PK-6 in public or private school settings with the Elementary Education license. However, if adding the Special Education-General Curriculum Add-On Endorsement, candidates will also be credentialed to teach special education students in grades K-6 in public or private school settings.

Program Approval

Our program is approved by the Virginia Department of Education
P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218
804.371.2475

Faculty Contact

Andrea P. Beam, Ed.D
Chair of Elementary Education
Associate Professor, College of Education, Leadership Studies, and Counseling

434.544.8381
beam_a@lynchburg.edu